Egypt 2024

EGYPT IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PHARAOHS

Nile River cruise, Valley of the Kings, ancient wonders, temples, vibrant culture, historic iconic hotels.

4 – 25 FEBRUARY 2024

EGYPT IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PHARAOHS

4 – 25 FEBRUARY 2024

Join John and Sue on a journey of a lifetime to the land of the pharaohs as we take you on a comprehensive tour of the greatest sights of ancient Egypt. We travel through Egypt with sights beyond imagination and history encapsulated at every turn, all done with the beauty, leisure and the glory of a bygone era.

Experience the Exceptional...

• 20-day luxury tour of Egypt including Cairo (4 nights plus 3 nights on return), Aswan (2 nights), Sonesta Moon Goddess cruise (7 nights), Luxor (3 nights), all in 5 star accommodation, including the historic Old Cataract Hotel, Aswan where Agatha Christie stopped to write Death on the Nile and the Marriott Mena House which overlooks the Pyramids!

• We travel with our own exceptional private guide and Egyptologist throughout the trip to enlighten and educate us about the last 5000 years of Egyptian history - the best guide in Egypt!

• Enjoy our 7-night cruise of the Nile on the Sonesta Moon Goddess. All cabins have sliding doors that open to an outside veranda that serves to bring the sounds and scents of Egypt to us.

• On our cruise we visit Aswan, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, Luxor including the Bazaar, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Temple of Philae, high dam and Botanic Gardens, Kitchener Island plus ancient quarries, farm life and daily activities of this life-giving river.

• Visit and tour Pyramids, Sphinx, Temples of Karnak and Luxor, Step Pyramid, Valley of the Kings and Queens, Mohammed Ali Mosque, Coptic Cathedral, Cairo and Luxor museums, new Grand Egyptian Museum (opening now confirmed), behind the scenes conservation tour and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, Cairo, home to the Pharaoh Mummy collection.

• Special flavours including cultural show on the boat; sound and light shows at both Giza Pyramids and Karnak Temple with VIP seats, our own concerts from Sue and John and local entertainers, time for balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings (own cost), sail on a felucca, dinner cruise with belly dancing display and dinner and sunset drinks at the famous Winter Palace.

OUR ARTISTS FOR THIS TRIP:

Operatunity owners Susan Boland & John Cameron

PLACES WE STAY

Marriott Mena House, Cairo by the Pyramids (4 nights)

A frequent stop for dignitaries and celebrities, this 5 star hotel offers travellers a taste of modern luxury. Set at the base of the Pyramids, we can enjoy partial views of the pyramids from our hotel rooms.

Sonesta Moon Goddess Cruise Ship (7 nights)

Our home for seven wonderful nights we enjoy the luxury of one of the most elegant ships on the Nile. All cabins have sliding doors that open to an outside veranda that serves to bring the sounds and scents of Egypt to us.

Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel, Aswan (2 nights)

Located in the Nubian Desert on the banks of the Nile, opposite Elephantine Island, Sofitel Legend Old Cataract is based around a Victorian building with a pink granite façade and magnificent grounds and decor. It is considered the best hotel in Egypt and we have Nile facing rooms in the new wing.

Sonesta St. George Hotel, Luxor (3 nights)

Situated on the banks of the Nile and close to the Luxor Temples, the Sonesta Hotel Luxor has a history of hosting royalty and celebrities throughout the years. The interior features grand staircases, high ceilings and lounge areas that are appointed with antique furniture, as well as a magnificent pool with sweeping views of the Nile beside us.

Sofitel Nile El Gezirah, Cairo (3 nights)

Our 5-star hotel is centrally located on the Nile, where every room enjoys a view of this mighty river. It also boasts a magnificent swimming pool and restful rooms which combine with the French elegance of the Sofitel brand with Egyptian flavour.

Abu Simbel

Kom Ombo

Edfu Esna

Luxor

Dendera

Memphis Aswan

Valley of the Kings and Queens

EGYPT ASWAN

LUXOR

CAIRO

7 night

Nile River Cruise roundtrip from Aswan

Fly Cairo to Auckland

Fly Auckland to Cairo

Sonesta Moon Goddess Ship Cabin

Sofitel Nile El Gezirah, Cairo

Marriott Mena Housexxx

Ancient Statues

CAIRO (4 nights)

- Marriott Mena House, Cairo by the Pyramids

Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt. The city’s metropolitan area is the largest in the Middle East and the Arab world. It is a busy, vibrant city and is associated with ancient Egypt and the famous Pyramids. Please note: We travel to Egypt in winter where the temperature is more ideal for travelling with long comfortably warm days and cooler nights (and no rain!).

Highlights include:

• Special welcome dinner at our hotel with views of the mighty Pyramids beside us.

• Tour of the Pyramids of Giza area and the Sphinx.

• Tours to ancient Memphis and on to Saqqara’s necropolis which includes the Step Pyramid of Djoser and Mastaba tombs and the Museum of Amenhotep.

•Tour and visit to Cairo’s brand new Grand Egyptian Museum (opening now confirmed).

•Behind the scenes tour of the museum into the conservation labs with conservator.

• VIP seats for the Sound and Light show at the Pyramids.

Please note: We have split our time in Cairo to two hotels, at the beginning and end of the trip. Our first hotel is located beside the Pyramids, Sphinx, Step Pyramid and new Grand Egyptian Museum, the other more centrally located by the Nile, Bazar, Mosques and famous museums and sights. This will prevent spending hours in the coach with Cairo traffic being some of the busiest in the world.

SONESTA MOON GODDESS CRUISE SHIP (8 days – 7 nights)

- The ultimate leisurely look at Egypt

We have booked one of the most spectacular boats on the Nile, with traditional furniture and fabrics that echo the days of yesteryear as we cruise the Nile River and enjoy the sights of ancient Egypt.

Highlights on the Moon Goddess Include:

• All cabins have sliding doors that open to an outside veranda that serves to bring the sounds and scents of Egypt to us, gourmet food, amazing crew and service with all meals included.

Sphinx

xxxSonesta Moon Goddess Cruise Ship

DAY 1: Aswan

Fly to Aswan and board our luxury cruise.

Highlights Include:

•We board our elegant 5-star ship before lunch with time to settle into our cabins.

• Welcome lunch onboard.

• Free time in the afternoon before our Captain’s welcome dinner.

DAY 2: Aswan – Esna

Highlights Include:

• Set sail for Kom Ombo early this morning.

• Visit of the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, right on the Nile banks and one of the most seducing sites of Upper-Egypt.

• Lunch on board while sailing to Esna for our overnight stay.

• We pass by the ancient quarries on the sides of the Nile where so much of the stone was taken for building the pyramids.

• Afternoon tea is served on deck as we cruise.

• Tonight we channel our inner Mummy with an Egyptian dress up themed dinner.

DAY 3: Esna – Luxor

Highlights Include:

• This morning we pass through the large lock at Esna.

•Sail through countryside on to Luxor, the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes.

•Visit Luxor Temples to marvel at the perfection of Amenhotep III’s columns.

•Visit the Luxor Bazaar.

•Visit the best book shop in Egypt overlooking the Luxor Temple.

•We attend the captivating Karnak Sound and Light show – with VIP seats.

DAY 4: Luxor

Highlights Include:

• We travel back thousands of years as we visit the West Bank of the Nile today.

• Visit the Valley of the Kings, including Tutankhamun and Ramses V tombs.

• Visit the Valley of the Queens, the secret necropolis of the royal wives. Visit the Valley of the Nobles, the Tomb of Ramose.

•Visit the Tombs of the Monkeys.

• Dinner will be followed by an Egyptian show of local dance and music.

Sonesta Moon Godess Cruise Ship

Tutankhamun

Luxor Templexxx

DAY 5: Luxor – Esna

Highlights Include:

• Enjoy leisurely cruising watching the many wondrous sights as we pass.

• The Nile feeds the country’s plantations, including sugar cane, corn and cotton, as well as yellow tea, black tea and coffee. The air is sweet as we sail past crops in the swampy areas on the banks of the Nile.

• Special dinner with the Captain tonight.

DAY 6: Kom Ombo

Highlights Include:

• Visit the best-preserved temple of the Ptolemaic Dynasty; the Temple of Horus (the falcon god) at Edfu. Once buried in sand, it now stands proudly once again.

• Cruise towards Kom Ombo temple.

• Time to sit on the deck and read Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile!

DAY 7: Aswan

Highlights Include:

• Visit the Temple of Philae, which was moved block by block to make way for the Aswan Dam.

• Visit the High Dam at Aswan built to control the annual floods.

• Sail on a felucca and visit the Botanical Gardens on Kitchener Island.

• Final night sunset drinks and cruise dinner.

ASWAN (2 nights)

- Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel

Aswan, located on the Nile River, has been southern Egypt’s strategic and commercial gateway since ancient times.

Highlights Include:

• Fly to Abu Simbel to see the colossal statues of Ramesses II located on the banks of the lake. This was cut into thousands of blocks and moved onto higher ground so that they would be saved from the flooding of the New Aswan Dam in the 1960s.

• On our return from Abu Simbel we transfer to the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel, the best hotel in Egypt!

• We have a late breakfast on the famous terrace of the hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile.

• Tour of Aswan including the Coptic Cathedral and Nubian Museum.

• We visit a perfume factory and take in the smells of the ancient spices and herbs such as Frankincense and Myrrh.

• Free time to enjoy our hotel, shop, or organise your own tours.

• Dinner under an Arabian dome in their famous restaurant.

Kom Ombo Temple

Abu Simbel

xxxTemple Passage in Aswan

LUXOR (3 nights)

- Sonesta St George Hotel

Highlights Include:

• Fly from Aswan to Luxor with horse and carriage ride and visit to Luxor Museum on arrival.

• Tour to the majestic site of Karnak, dedicated to the god Amun.

• Time off for an early morning balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings if you choose (own cost).

• Visit the incredible Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

• Visit to Alabaster Factory, Carpet Factory, Ancient Artefact shop.

• Travel to the Great Temple of Hathor at Dendera, one of the best preserved and most famous monuments in Egypt with its many depictions of Cleopatra. The temple covers some 40,000sq metres and is comprised of more than 50 temples within temples and surrounded by an ancient brick wall.

• Dendera temple is the original home of the disc depicting all the zodiac symbols known to the ancient Egyptians, and which continue to this day such as Taurus and Libra. Today the original is in the Louvre in Paris.

• Dinner and sunset drinks on the terrace of the famous Sofitel Winter Palace Hotel overlooking the Nile, the very hotel where Howard Carter announced he had found the Tomb of Tutankhamun and where he held his press conferences.

CAIRO RETURN VISIT (3 nights)

Sofitel Nile El Gezirah (centrally located)

We fly back to Cairo from Luxor this morning.

Highlights Include:

• Driving tour of Cairo, including historical and iconic sights.

• Visit to Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo’s most visible mosque.

• Visit to the famous Cairo Bazaar with lunch at Azhar park area.

• Dinner cruise with belly dancing display and local dancing.

• Tour of National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, Cairo, home to the Pharaoh Mummy collection and the story of the history of Egypt. (You may have seen the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade as they transported 22 Royal Mummies to their new resting place in 2021).

• Dinner at a private restaurant on our final night in Cairo, with music provided by Sue and John and local entertainment.

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

Mosque of Muhammad Ali

Dendera Temple

$22,490 per person twin share

Single Room Supplement Add $6750

Initial Deposit on booking: $2000

Second Deposit due: 8 August 2023 $4000

Final Balance due: 17 October 2023

Please note: This is part of our Travel of Note boutique tours limited to 20 people. As well as Sue and John, we will travel with our own guide plus assistant throughout Egypt.

THIS TRIP INCLUDES:

• Return economy airfares Emirates airlines: Auckland - Dubai / Dubai - Cairo return.

• Internal airfares as follows: Cairo – Aswan / Aswan - Abu Simbel return / Aswan – Luxor / Luxor - Cairo.

• Cairo (4 nights plus 3 nights on return), Aswan (2 nights), Sonesta Moon Goddess cruise (7 nights), Luxor (3 nights), all in 5 star luxury accommodation.

• 7-night cruise on the Sonesta Moon Goddess Cruise Ship. All cabins have sliding doors that open to an outside veranda that serves to bring the sounds and scents of Egypt to us.

• Accommodation all in historic 5-star hotels including Marriott Mena House, Sofitel Nile El Gezirah, Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel and Sonesta St George Hotel, Luxor.

• We travel with our own exceptional private guide and Egyptologist throughout the trip to enlighten and educate us about the last 5000 years of Egyptian history - the best guide in Egypt plus an assistant always travelling with us to help with luggage and general duties.

• All entrances and tours on cruise are included in Aswan, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, Luxor including the Bazaar, the Temple of Horus (the falcon god) at Edfu, Temple of Philae, high dam and Botanic Gardens, Kitchener Island.

• All entrance and tours are included at numerous temples and ancient archaeology sites including Valley of the Kings with entrance to Tutankhamun and Ramses V tombs, Valley of the Queens, Valley of Noblemen, Tombs of the Monkeys, Luxor Temple,Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Karnak, Sphinx, Step Pyramid, Giza Pyramids, Abu Simbel and the Great Temple of Hathor at Dendera.

• Included visits and tours of Mohammed Ali Mosque, Coptic Cathedral, Cairo and Luxor museums, new Grand Egyptian Museum (opening now confirmed), behind the scenes conservation tour and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, Cairo, home to the Pharaoh Mummy collection.

• Special flavours including cultural show on the boat; sound and light shows at both Giza Pyramids and Karnak Temple with VIP seats, our own concerts from Sue and John and local entertainers, time for balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings (own cost), sail on a felucca, dinner cruise with belly dancing display and dinner and sunset drinks at the famous Winter Palace.

• Special shopping experiences plus demonstrations including Cairo Bazaar, perfume shop, carpet factory, alabaster shop and best bookshop in Egypt.

• All breakfasts, 13 dinners, 14 lunches.

• All transfers, porterage, tips, taxes and activities as listed in itinerary.

• Hosted by Operatunity owners: Susan Boland and John Cameron.

EXPLORING TOUR

This is still a moderately paced tour, but you will be required to walk longer distances, walk on cobblestones and ancient ruins and stand in museums. To really get the best out of this tour you need to be able to stand or walk for a couple of hours comfortably, be it at a leisurely pace.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• All itinerary details are subject to change, but changes will be replaced with a comparable or better option.

• Initial & Second deposits are fully refundable up until final balance due date, minus an administration fee of up to $500 plus any non-recoverable costs.

• All monies are non-refundable at final balance due date. This becomes an insurance claim.

• Payment by direct credit incurs no surcharge. Credit card payments will incur a surcharge of 1.5%.

• Travellers need to be independently mobile and fit to travel.

• Bookings will only be accepted with initial deposit.

• All travellers must obtain comprehensive travel insurance for international travel and insurance for domestic travel is recommended.

• Please refer to our terms and conditions on booking form.